BJP MLA dares Karnataka party president to slap showcause notice

Bellary: Daring the BJP's Karnataka unit President K S Eswarappa to issue him showcause notice, rebel MLA H T Suresh Babu on Thursday said he and his associates were ready to quit the party.

"Let Eswarappa serve notice as early as possible. We are ready to leave BJP.... We are waiting for the party to serve us notice", Babu, who represents Kampli assembly constituency and is a relative of former BJP leader B Sreeramulu, told reporters.

A day after Eswarappa threatened to take disciplinary action against those legislators taking part in Sreeramulu's padayatra, Babu wanted to know why similar action was not initiated against MLAs and Ministers who boycotted senior leader L K Advani's yatra last year.

Supporters of former Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa stayed away from the Advani yatra against corruption which toured parts of the state. "Eswarappa has no moral right to issue notice to us", Babu said and claimed Sreeramulu had the support of MLAs and MPs in Bellary district.

Sreeramulu has floated "BSR" (Badavara Shramikara and Raithara) party and is now on a 951-km padayatra from Basavakalyan to Bangalore aimed at connecting with the people ahead of next year's assembly elections.